Why Do Leaders Need to Practice Active Listening?

Active listening is paramount to effective communication – it’s a two-way exchange of both giving and receiving information.

Most leaders spend a lot of time thinking about how we communicate and know how crucial it is. We read and reread our emails, spend hours planning for presentations with clients, consider and then reconsider how to pitch a product, or think and rethink how to best share information at a staff meeting. It’s easy to think that communicating as a leader is primarily giving out information, but active listening is an equally important part of the equation.

In my coaching practice, clients often approach me because they want to learn to communicate better. When I ask them specifically what they would like to work on, they often say they would like to be able to articulate their ideas well, increase their level of assertiveness, and speak with more clarity. These are all valuable communication skills to have, but we need to pair them with an ability to listen well if we are to be effective leaders.

When we listen to others, it shows that we respect their ideas while building trust.

How can active listening improve our ability to lead others?

As leaders, it can be hard to know what our staff are thinking, what their ideas for improvement are, or how to support them, unless we really take the time to listen. When we listen to others, it shows that we respect their ideas while building trust, expanding our perspective, and ensuring we have the necessary information to give direction or provide guidance.

How can we practice active listening?

What follows some practices that have been helpful for me as I strive to be a better listener, both in my personal life and as a leader.

1. Be Humble

Being a good listener requires us to be humble, no matter the situation or circumstance. It’s helpful to remember that each person on our team is an expert in something we are not; we don’t always have all the answers and they may have valuable information that we have missed.

With this approach, you’ll find that you want to listen to what the people around you have to contribute so you can learn from them. Being humble prepares us to be genuinely interested in people, assume the best about them, and demonstrate that we sincerely desire to understand their point of view.

Being a good listener requires us to be humble, no matter the situation or circumstance. 

2. Ask Questions

Our role in listening is to gain a deeper understanding, withhold judgment, and refrain from adding insight unless asked. Some of us have the tendency to interrupt and say what is on our mind. While active listening happens mostly through hearing, we can demonstrate that we are listening with our voices by asking clarifying questions. When someone comes to us for advice, asking questions will also help us gain a more complete perspective. In addition,

I have found that a powerful way to draw people out is to pair questioning with encouragements to speak, such as “Tell me more . . .” This lets the other person know that we are interested and are giving them an opportunity to open up. It also provides the chance for people to become their own problem solvers, as good questions will help them think through the issue they’re facing.

Our role in listening is to gain a deeper understanding, withhold judgment, and refrain from adding insight unless asked.

3. Remain Present

When the people we lead are sharing ideas or responding to something we’ve asked, we need to fully listen – and then respond. We need to be aware of when our thoughts wander to unrelated things or, instead of listening, when we begin thinking of what we want to say in response. It takes a lot of determination and concentration to stay focused. If our thoughts wander, we should ask for clarification and get back to paying attention. Always remember that when people share their ideas, experiences, or emotions, they are giving us something of themselves and we should fully receive it.

One way that I remain present is by challenging myself to paraphrase or summarize what the other person has said, either out loud or in my head. This keeps me engaged, increases my interest in what they are saying, raises my level of empathy, and I gain a clear picture of what they are really trying to communicate. When I paraphrase out loud, it also shows the other person that I am paying attention, that what they have to say matters, and that I have heard what they are saying.

Always remember that when people share their ideas, experiences, or emotions, they are giving us something of themselves and we should fully receive it.

Leaders who don’t practice active listening often find that the people around them have nothing to say, causing them to lose valuable input as a result. When we listen well, we hear a range of perspectives that can ultimately lead to more creative solutions and approaches to the issues we face.

Every one of our staff members should know that we are interested in their thoughts, ideas, and opinions. They should anticipate that we will prioritize taking the time to actively engage in listening to them. When we intentionally follow the simple active listening tips above, we can build our listening skills and become better leaders who are able to make well-considered decisions, provide helpful guidance, and empower our teams to be problem solvers.

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